Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Diet

Last December, I posted my first “before and after” photo on Facebook. That was three months after I started my low-carb diet. Since then, I have posted 4 more times to show the progress. Don’t worry, this is the last “before and after” photo since I already reached my goal. I will just try to maintain it.

Watching Winter

I watch...

the sun
paints

the roofs

in shades of orange,why not blue or green?

the last two

maple leaves

finally let go -can they survive the coldlike Hansel and Gretel?

the Christmas twinkles

fill in

for the firefliesto bring backthe warmth of summer nights

myself melts

in front of the mirror

naked

a reflection stare back at me

without blinking

was I a snowman

or a scarecrow or a human

/totomai

After 15 months of low-carb diet, here are some of the improvements

Weight dropped from 91 kgs to 59 kgs

Waistline reduced from 41 in to 29 in

Suit Size from BB6 to Y7

No more headaches

There are distractions along the way, but if you are determined enough, you can easily ignore them. Just focus on reaching your goal.

Some tips on how to lose weight based from my experience

Set your diet and target. If low-carb, then go low-carb.

Never post Day 1 of diet / gym status. Post any improvement after 3 months or so.

Check your weight every day to track your progress.

Don’t skip breakfast. It will start your day right. Wash the dishes right away. It's therapeutic.

Don’t allow yourself to go hungry. Almonds can save the day.

Forget about soda. Try some vegetable juice, and protein shake.

Prepare / cook your own food. It's fun preparing vegetable salad.

Go to the gym. Do sports. Exercise. Jog. Sleep. Shower.

Tell your friends to SHUT UP if they ask you to eat cakes, sweets, carbs. Just kidding of course. You can cheat too, you know.

Most importantly ENJOY YOUR DIET. Do it for yourself.

I received some positive feedback from colleagues and friends. And it felt good to know that I was able to inspire some of my friends and relatives. A couple of them are into low-carb diet already.

Of course, there’s a possibility that I may go back to being overweight, only if I will allow it to happen. (I hope my mother won’t let me eat all the food she’ll prepare this holiday)

Ah, you really achieved your goal. Congratulations to you on setting one and following through. I do like the way you expressed melting in front of the mirror. Nice to see one's size diminish & also to get rid of those headaches! Have a happy holiday, Totomai; and see you in the new year.

Totomai, you are an inspiration and you look fabulous and likely feel wonderful too. I am happy to know you are going home to visit your family.......enjoy your visit. Thank you for your gorgeous photos and the experiences you shared with us during 2016. Looking forward to more in 2017.

Good for you, dropping some weight and toning up. But what's so striking about your "after" shot is that smile. You are oozing pure joy. Also, awesome style ... jacket, glasses, mustache, and skinny tie. You are looking super-fly. ;)

I enjoyed your poem of xmas reflections, and also the joyful story of your weight loss and the good tips for following your example. And I love the photos showing how you went from a pleasant-looking fellow to spiffy and handsome – and several years younger! You are an inspiration and I plan to be inspired to a similar transformation – starting right after the xmas feasting! :)

You look great! Nice that you are so dedicated to your health. You inspire me to be more serious about maintaining good weight. Love your poem. Winter has its charms but sometimes makes us miss summer. Have a Happy Holiday season!

I love reflection poems, and this one--set in the substitute sparks of Holidays and winter--is wonderful. I couldn't read the diet stuff, though I recognize its connection to the "Watching." I suspect watching the ups and downs of weight is much more like watching the sesons than watching